The Video
by VolturiGirl
Summary: Ever wondered how the Cullens felt when they saw the dreaded video in Twilight? Edward POV, three-shot
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Obviously.

**The Video**

_Part One of Three_

I started running, holding Bella in my arms. Her head lolled to the side as she fell asleep, due to the phenomenal amount of morphine Carlisle injected her with.

It took everything in my power not to speed off, leaving Alice and my father. I knew it was better for my Bella, as Carlisle supported her already-braced leg. I growled thinking about the suffering she had – was – going through.

_Calm, Edward, calm. She'll be fine._ Alice thought to me, her thoughts radiating comfort. It helped… minimally.

Several agonizing moments later, we gracefully stepped into Phoenix Hospital. The receptionist gasped as she took in the sight of a bloody, limp, girl being carried by an inhumanly beautiful creature also covered in blood.

"I'm her doctor, and I need a stretcher, pronto." Carlisle barked, and the woman picked up a phone and murmured something in it. I wasn't really paying attention; Bella was whimpering in pain.

Suddenly, a clean white stretcher was in front of me, and I gently set her down, Alice straightening out her leg.

_Edward, let go. She'll be fine with me, I promise._ Carlisle gave me a small smile, and rolled her toward an emergency operating room. My hand unintentionally began to reach to Bella, but I was cut off as Emmett and Jasper came through the door.

"We found something." Jasper spoke, and a diminutive wave of calm tried to enclose my body.

"What?" Alice stood by Jasper, shaking with the memory of the… experience moments ago. Was it only moments ago?

"A tape. It was in a camera directed to James' failed hunt." Emmett withdrew a tape from his pocket.

"We need to get back to the hotel anyway. There we can change… and watch the tape." Alice still sounded awful, but I felt the same. I needed to go, anyway. I might appear out of the ordinary with my blood-soaked clothing.

They paced out of the bleach-smelling hospital, leaving me behind. I took one glance, and then followed them to the stolen car. I could hear in their thoughts that the ballet studio was now in flames, alerting people to its presence.

--

We slid the tape into the cheap VCR, hoping for it to not be what we knew it for.

A white flash lit the screen, and we could see that… that… there we no words evil enough to describe such a being. My Bella stood a few feet behind him, eyes widening in terror, preparing her body for the pain. But that's not what scared my the most.

Her eyes came across as looking emotionless.

Lifeless.


	2. Part 2

The Video

Disclaimer: I don't own the conversation between Bella and James.

**The Video**

_Part Two of Three_

His voice sounded in the background, and my Bella stared at him with horror-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'll be able to resist hunting me after he watches this. And I wouldn't want him to miss anything. It was all for him, of course. You're simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd, I might add." James took one step closer to my love, and I could see him wearing blue jeans with a long-sleeved shirt.

"Damn," Emmett muttered.

"Before we begin…" He glanced around, seeing nothing but his own reflection. "I would just like to rub it in, just a little bit. The answer was there all along, and I was so afraid Edward would see that and ruin my fun. It happened once, oh, ages ago. The one and only time my prey escaped me." I'm sure Jasper could feel everyone's confusion as the hunter persisted. "You see, the vampire that was stupidly fond of this little victim made the choice that your Edward was too weak to make. When the old one knew was after his little friend, he stole her from the asylum where he worked – I never will understand the obsession some vampires seemed to form with you humans – and as soon as he freed her he made her safe. She didn't even seem to notice the pain, poor little thing."

"Why is he ranting about someone before Bella?" Jasper murmured.

"She'd been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long. A hundred years earlier and she would have been burned at the stake for her visions. In the 1920's it was the asylum and the shock treatments. When she opened her eyes, strong with her fresh youth it was like she had never seen the sun before. The old vampire made her a strong new vampire, and there was no reason for me to touch her then." He paused and let out a breath. "I destroyed the old one in vengeance."

"Alice," Bella breathed.

"What?" She screamed. Jasper was holding a wide-eyed and shrieking Alice.

"Shh, shh, listen."

"Yes, your little friend. I _was_ surprised to see her in the clearing. So I guess her coven ought to be able to deserve some comfort from this experience." There would be no comfort for us if Bella had been killed, even if we had learned Alice's past. I'm sure she would have agreed with me.

"I get you, but they get her. The one victim who escaped me, quite an honor, actually.

"And she did smell so delicious. I still regret that I never go to taste… she smelled even better than you do. Sorry – I don't mean to be offensive. You have a very nice smell. Floral, somehow…" He paced over to her and lifted a lock of her mahogany hair and sniffed it. He gently lowered it back in place, and Bella was so stiff. His fingertips traced the bottom of her throat, and I growled loudly. Emmett held down my arm to restrain me, although I noticed him restraining himself.

The hunter reached to stroke her cheek with his thumb, and we all audibly growled. Bella appeared frozen with fear, and how I wished I could take away that feeling.

"No," James said almost incoherently. "I don't understand. Well I suppose we should get on with it. And then I can call your friends and tell them where to find you and my little message.

Her knees started to shake as he stepped backward and circled her – a hunter with its prey.

James sank into a crouch and his mouth widened into a feral smile.

Bella's instincts finally took over and she tried unsuccessfully to get to the door. Too quick for the camera to comprehend, James was in front of her.

His hand flashed out and struck her chest. Bella whimpered in pain as her head collided with the mirrors behind her.

The four of us were on our feet as blood wetted her hair.

"That's quite a nice effect," James approached her, speaking in a supposed-to-be-comforting voice. "I thought this room would be visually dramatic for my little film. That's why I picked this place to meet you. It's perfect, isn't it?" Did he honestly expect her to answer?

Bella flipped over and crawled on her hands and knees. I looked to Alice and she was quietly sobbing into Jasper's chest. I would have tears running down my face if it were possible.

James' foot smashed down on her leg, and she could not contain her deafening scream. My poor, poor Bella!

She twisted behind herself and gazed at a grinning James.

"Would you like to rethink your last request?" He nudged her leg not so subtly and she shrieked once again. "Wouldn't you rather have Edward try to find me?"

"No," She whimpered, "No, Edward, don't-" My Bella was once again thrown into the mirrors, and a huge, familiar, gash ripped through her scalp, and I roared in agony. No!

The hunter's eyes shone, showing us that he couldn't withstand the call of her blood. He leaned over her and bit into her hand.

The camera suddenly went dead as Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and myself burst through the door.


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Twilight.

**A/N: **I am SO sorry it took this long. I needed to figure out where to stop it, and on top of that I had writer's block. And for everyone who has read Father Time, I AM extending it. It will most likely not be a full-length thing, but that depends on my readers. I will not force you guys to review. (Though it helps loads)

Sorry for rambling, but here it is!

The VideoPart Three of Three

Alice was still shaking, and Emmett had a certain fire in his eyes. One I most likely had, too, as we both wanted to kill James again.

"Well… that was… educational?" Jasper suggested quietly, controlling the emotions of the rest of us. The pixie beside him nodded weakly.

"At least I know, now." They were all trying to find positives in a completely negative situation.

_Edward, you need to calm down,_ Jasper repeated to me with what felt like the thousandth time. It was slowly working.

"I need to get back to her, to Bella. What if she wakes up while I'm not there?" I started panicking. She had gone through so much, and I was unintentionally hurting her. I was a monster, no matter what she said, and no matter how much everyone denied it.

Emmett had stayed silent, but his violent thoughts were swimming perpendicular to mine.

"I-We have to destroy the tape. If someone finds it, steals it…" he trailed off, working to keep his tone to a minimum. Which was saying something. I nodded my head as I put my coat on and shoved the blood-coated one in a plastic bag from the bathroom. I was too busy to notice the sunlight streaming heavily through the windows.

I was about to run out the door when Alice's voice stopped me.

"It's sunny out," she said, "And Bella won't wake up for another three days, Edward. Carlisle just decided that she needed transfusions." Her voice was waking up; she had been speaking in monotone to Jasper. I frowned and peered out the window. Sure enough, our forecaster was one hundred percent correct.

Swiftly, Emmett started pacing, rubbing his temple at the same time. He was deep in thought, and trying to calm himself.

_She'll be okay, James is dead. Yes, he is. I don't need to worry, Bella'll be fine, perfect. She'll heal. _He chanted over and over.

_She'll heal,_ I thought, _but what happens when another cold one comes through and sees her? Will that be her final act?_ I'm in no doubt that if her safety called for my departure, I would fulfill that order.

But what drove her to that extreme? Go and meet a sadistic vampire, sure! She is probably the only human alive that can sneak away from a future-seeing vampire and an emotion-feeling one. She was unique, like that.

I sat down heavily in one of the bland hotel room chairs, and picked up the note that Bella had written to me. I could tell it took so much courage for her to give up her life to save her mother's. I read it silently once more, thinking that it was unnecessary.

_Dear Edward,_ she had printed,

I love you. I am so sorry. He has my mom, and I have to try. I know it may not work. I am so very, very sorry.

Don't be angry with Alice and Jasper. If I get away from them it will be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially, please.

And please, please don't come after him. That's what he wants, I think. I can't bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you. Please, this is the only thing I can ask you now. For me.

I love you. Forgive me.

Bella.

After all of this, I have learned one thing. Bella's fear, phobia, whatever you would like to call it. Her one trouble – no one could get hurt because of her. Ever. Her attitude in this letter held nothing but unspoken gratitude toward my family. I would see to it that I kept that fear at bay, to do my best.

Edward? Alice was standing in front of me, her hands folded together. I smiled slightly.

"Bella would like to tell you – and Jasper – 'Thank You'." Alice grinned, and so did Jasper.

I really would like to get to know her, be a brother to her. I'm sorry I can't do that, Edward. Jasper thought to me. I knew his struggle; every time Bella was near he would focus on Alice, or simply stop breathing. It was his way of calming himself, his habit. Like my pinching the bridge of my nose. We all had our funny habits.

"Edward, if you run to the car, you can make it to the hospital before the sun comes out again." Alice murmured. I grabbed the keys from her hand and stole out into the parking lot, to see Bella again.

And it wouldn't be for the last time, either.


End file.
